A Taste for Revenge
by Gadrin
Summary: A short story set in the Rifts RPG megaverse.


A TASTE FOR REVENGE  
  
This is an introductory story to help me learn the RIFTS RPG  
setting.  
  
I've taken liberties with some of the canon, particularly in  
describing Tolkeen and allowing Robot Control to be around earlier  
than Rift's Mercenaries states, though I've tried to stick to the  
Coalition War books where possible.  
  
The following characters are mine: The Techno-wizards Gindle,   
Novar, Halk; the NG spy Medera, her boss Noel Leeds; the Ley Line  
Walker Tovarus; the Cyber-Knight Valoryn and his boss Prefect Lader  
another Ley Line Walker, so © Jay Alverson 2002.  
  
Almost everything else is from Rifts Mercenaries, Coalition Wars,   
Siege Against Tolkeen Chapters 1,3,5,6 the Rifts Main Book,   
Phase World Book 2 and the Triax book, so © Palladium Books.  
  
Gindle is a 3rd level Techno-wizard Thief from Rifter #2, with a  
few "expanded" abilities.  
  
Rifts:Hulat is my own, home-grown dimension :)  
  
The story takes place in Tolkeen somewhere around 89 PA, BEFORE  
Naruni has a foothold in the magical city.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
12:05 PM  
Northern Gun Supply Depot  
Solomon, Minnesota  
Rifts:Earth  
  
"Yeah, it's ok," was the nasal reply from the squawkbox. "Send him  
to office 217."  
  
The sentry outside the Northern Gun office buzzed the pizza  
deliveryman in. The man's face was partially hidden by the four  
boxes holding extra-large pies.  
  
The NG branch office in Minnesota was once a medical building, a  
two-story job with a parking lot across the street. Built on a hill,  
most foot traffic entered on the top level, while the farther into  
the building you went, the hill dropped off, supporting a lower,  
first level. It was a haphazard setup, with poor security, the best  
the company could arrange in this region.  
  
After getting instructions from the receptionist, the deliveryman  
made his way down a long corridor, broken periodically by double  
doors. He turned left, went through a maze-like anteroom and hallway  
before spotting office 217. He ignored it and kept going.  
  
The pizza man's eyes were hidden by dark glasses and he kept his  
right hand inside his jacket pocket. If someone looked closely, they  
might notice an unnatural bulge and that his hand didn't quite fit  
inside all the way.  
  
He kept moving, down the hall, past a group of cubicles and near a  
set of guarded double doors. There was a dark office so he  
sidestepped inside and placed the pizzas on the desk chair,  
swivelling it around so it couldn't be seen from the doorway. He  
took a chance and snuck a peek at the guardpost near the double  
doors. Two security men were sitting quietly, watching, but hadn't  
noticed him.  
  
Using the phone, he placed a quick call to the switchboard who  
connected him to the guardpost.  
  
"This is Tanner in Marketing. McAdams was happy with the Ft. Barrett  
sale. Lunch's on him. I'm sending a guy over shortly. Enjoy." He  
hung up before the guard could question the call.  
  
The pizza man waited a minute, then grabbed up the pies, stopping at  
the doorway to take a deep breath, before walking out slowly, his  
head swiveling, looking all the world like a man lost.  
  
"Hey you guys know where..."  
  
"You from Tanner's office?" asked one of the guards.  
  
"Yeah," the pizza man cracked a large smile. "Big place." He plopped  
the boxes on the reception desktop and opened the first box. "This  
one's for you two. Sorry," he said "All got the same toppings." He  
handed them a menu.  
  
The guards muttered something unintelligable about the horrors of  
pineapple and Canadian Bacon and waved him through to the loading  
dock. The double doors swung open and he barged in, moving down a  
hallway, before the right wall ended and the space opened up into a  
small warehouse.  
  
It was dead quiet, just like they'd been told. Everyone was on  
break. The delivery man moved out onto the loading dock that'd been  
added after NG had taken the place over. He checked quickly to make  
sure no one was hanging around, then placed the pizzas behind bags  
on the shelves near the rest of the day's outbound inventory, which  
was all stacked neatly up near the dock, ready to go.  
  
That done, he jogged down the steps, across an alleyway and out to  
his partner's car.  
  
"I was beginning to wonder," said the man behind the wheel. "How'd  
it go?"  
  
"Fine, no problem," he tapped the driver on the shoulder. "The Mind  
Melter's whatchamacallit worked."  
  
The car eased away, "You mean his Hypnotic Suggestion?"  
  
The pizza man nodded, opened the glove box and removed a small radio  
transmitter. He extended the antenna and placed his thumb over a red  
button.  
  
"He was only two tables away from the secretary at the restaurant  
last night. He said he bumped into her near the restroom and  
mentioned having pizza for lunch today...what's this?" the driver  
grabbed one of the menus protruding from his pocket. "Oh, no! You  
didn't!"  
  
In big, bold print at the bottom it said: EAT AT LUIGI'S. Already a  
wanted man, Luigi Grimaldi wanted to rub it in.  
  
Grimaldi laughed hysterically, "Hey, we gotta let 'em know the  
competition is on the ball. That'll leave a bad taste in their  
mouth."  
  
The driver shrugged, "We far enough away?"  
  
"From three boxes filled with my special plastique?" Luigi  
hestitated for a ten count, then pushed the button. There was a  
terrific explosion behind the vehicle and the shockwave overtook  
them in a few seconds. The driver pulled over so they could look.  
  
A large, black, cloud mushroomed up over the buildings down the  
street.  
  
"Behold, the power of cheese!" Grimaldi was laughing so hard, he   
almost had tears in his eyes.  
  
The driver waited for him to calm down, "I got a call while you were  
inside. Lucia wants us back tonight."  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Dunno, we're to head south, someplace near Tolkeen."  
  
  
15:05 PM  
Monastery of The Order  
Rifts:Hulat  
  
Gindle stood on the balcony, looking over the monastery's back  
patio. He heard the footfalls of the Line Walker as the wizard  
walked out. Below, the cloaked, masked figure strode quickly away,  
into the dimensional portal that awaited him. The rift wasn't  
particularly big, but tinged with a bluish-glow indicative of magic.  
It vanished in a soft flash, swallowing the Line Walker noiselessly.  
  
"Gindle, we need to see you," the words echoed suddenly in his head.  
He made his way downstairs, through the rear walkway, over to a  
large double doorway where the Line Walker had just come from. The  
portal opened automatically for him, revealing six, elder  
Techno-wizards, masters of his guild. They'd been cloistered with  
the Line Walker for almost two hours.  
  
The door closed behind as he moved into the middle of the room. The  
Elders were all humans, a mix of men and women, all wearing dark  
blue, hooded robes. They formed a circle around him.  
  
"What did the visitor have to say?" he asked.  
  
One of the Elders cleared their throat, indicating THEY asked the  
questions. The room slowly went dark, except for a shaft of faint  
light, illuminating their guest. It gave off just enough light to  
illuminate the faces of the Elders as well.  
  
After a few seconds of silence, they finally spoke.  
  
"We've a unique opportunity presented to us," explained Halk, the  
Leading Elder. He transfixed the lesser Techno-wizard with his  
stare. "The Line Walker's friends on Earth are offering us a  
quantity of high-technology equipment...for free."  
  
Gindle started to speak but held off when he saw Halk's jaw clench.  
  
"Actually it's in exchange for a modest service." Halk looked at  
Novar, Gindle's Mentor. "We've decided that the exchange is  
favorable and will be sending you to Earth to participate on our  
behalf."   
  
The guild had a dozen more members all of equal or greater rank.  
Gindle suspected they'd chosen him because he'd been to Earth,  
before.  
  
"Your expanded talent in Telemechanics is needed to facilitate our  
portion of the bargain," explained Novar.  
  
Gindle had expanded talent in other areas too, some legal, some less  
so, but he remained quiet in respect of the earlier rebuff. When  
none of the Elders said anything he finally spoke up.  
  
"And just what am I to do?"  
  
"There's a group of mercenaries called Robot Control, fronting for  
Naruni Enterprises on Earth," using his belt computer, Halk conjured  
a hologram next to Gindle. It was robotic power armor. "The Line  
Walker's friends can arrange to liberate some of their stock, which  
they've offered to us, in exchange for your help." The robot turned  
transparent and Halk peeled off layer after layer, revealing the  
machine's inner workings. "Northern Gun is supplying two suits for  
the operation. You are required to control one, make it look like  
it's a runaway, so that Robot Control will intercede. You're to  
assist in piloting it towards a Ley Line Nexus near the Line  
Walker's position. Once inside their magical perimeter, they'll  
shift you and the Naruni gear out, leaving Robot Control behind."  
  
"Oh, is that all," Gindle added after a few seconds. "I thought it'd  
be something dangerous."  
  
"You've been in tighter spots," Halk growled.  
  
Gindle shook his head, then exhaled. Robot Control was a heavy duty  
mercenary company. Not only did they employ soldiers and assassins,  
they had special repo teams: ruthless cyborgs who tracked and hunted  
their quarry until the job was done. It was one of the reasons they  
excelled in such a competitive business. Customers rarely renegged  
on deals.  
  
"Besides," added Halk, "Northern Gun has someone on the inside."  
  
Gindle looked from Halk to his mentor, Novar, who nodded at him. The  
Techno-wizard waited, thinking it over. There wasn't much he could  
do. Once the Elders spoke...  
  
"And when does this all begin?"  
  
Halk dissolved the hologram, and telekinesed a data disc containing  
the relevant information to Gindle's hand.  
  
"First thing tomorrow."  
  
  
10:14 AM  
Ley Line Nexus  
Near Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
Deep inside an elaborate system of carefully excavated tunnels a  
meeting was taking place between members of Northern Gun, locals and  
a visitor to their world. Despite being deep underground the place  
was bright with artificial sunlight. Intricate, detailed illusions  
covered the rock and dirt walls, ceilings and passageways, making it  
as comfortable as any palatial residence above ground.  
  
"You're Gindle, eh? Tovarus spoke very highly of you," the man in  
fatigues shook Gindle's hand. "I'm Noel Leeds, with Northern Gun."  
  
Leeds looked more like a bureaucrat or functionary rather than a  
mercenary. Behind him loomed Tovarus, the tall Line Walker who'd  
visited the Monastery on Gindle's home plane.  
  
Leeds offered some small talk: "Funny, you don't look like a  
Techno-wizard."  
  
Dressed in his plain, dark, hooded robe, Gindle resembled any number  
of practitioners of the arcane arts, and a fair number of civilians  
in the magic capital as well. He almost made a comment about "those  
clods" but decided against it. As an operative, he couldn't afford  
to be recognized on-sight and instead craved anonymity.  
  
"Yes, well, no sense in advertising," Gindle hoped Leeds wasn't the  
inside man at Robot Control, here on leave. The man's mannerisms and  
conduct painted him as a technician or bureaucrat.  
  
Tovarus grunted something in his breather mask. A large map board  
floated over and clamped against the wall. Pinned to it was a large  
parchment map of the area. The parchment glowed with color and  
Tovarus revealed their current position in relation to the  
surrounding area and that of the Naruni front men.  
  
"These guys prefer to get in close when dealing with 'bots,"  
explained Leeds, adding quickly, "According to our man inside their  
organization. They usually detail a single squad to deal with one  
robot..."  
  
"And we have two robots?" Gindle interrupted, "That seems hardly a  
big enough lure..."  
  
"It isn't," snapped Leeds.  
  
Gindle was thoroughly confused. "Well, I can only control..." the  
Techno-wizard's voice trailed off.  
  
"You won't be alone," Leeds smiled. "I'll be piloting the other  
robot."  
  
Gindle started to protest but Tovarus cut him off, "And I'll be  
there too. There'll be twelve additional, illusionary machines along  
side. This way they'll be forced to send six or seven squads."  
  
"And plenty of gear," Leeds laughed.  
  
Gindle was steaming inside, this added a level of complexity he  
hadn't been expecting. He had no doubt the Line Walker could handle  
the magical end but to make it believable...  
  
"You think this is a good idea?" the Techno-wizard asked Tovarus.  
  
"Yes, that way there'll be two real robots, in case one of you has  
an accident."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Leeds might have been a cowboy, but Gindle had to admit as a robot  
pilot he was quite good. It took several days for the trio to learn  
basic robot tactics and pilot the 'bots in something resembling a  
combat formation. Of course they were helped by the fact that this  
squadron of automatons had been damaged in combat and had gone  
rogue. A pair of "representatives" from a nearby town would approach  
Robot Control and explain that the squadron had been operating near  
the small town of Red Tree. Informing the mercenaries there was  
expensive equipment they could ill afford to pass up, would play  
into Naruni's greed, and egged-on by the fact they were looking to  
expand into the area. Once they committed, Leed's plant could relay  
inside information. They'd know the enemy's plans, almost every step  
of the way.  
  
"We'll have to be in position when the representatives visit them,"  
explained Leeds. "They're utilizing Naruni probe 'bots -- flyin'  
craft with sensors. First thing they'll do is a fly-by."  
  
Tovarus took the lead, selecting a location that would allow him and  
his spellcasters maximum access to natural power and an abundance of  
cover for the others involved.  
  
  
14:34 PM  
Ley Line Nexus  
Near Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
"I see 'em!" called the OMAV pilot as his craft rocketed low over  
the terrain. "Fourteen bogeys, all together," his finger touched the  
control panel and the monitor froze the feed from the spy drone,  
flying on his right wing.  
  
The OMAV pilot brought his nose up, climbed a bit, then shifted  
right, cutting a half circle so he could make a return pass, towards  
the target's right flank. "Eight NG-Samson Conversion 'bots and  
six Titan biggies -- oh, oh," he hit the stick, rolled the pod over  
hard left and climbed.  
  
"What's wrong Eye-Six?" was the reply in his headset.  
  
"Nothing, they spotted me. They're just shooting up the sky." He  
held the bank for four seconds, rolled right and coasted. "I'm too  
fast for them."  
  
The pilot climbed, adjusted the display and took another look-see.  
While the robots had been shooting at him, he'd snuck the spy drone  
down to ground level, where it could use its high mobility hover to  
leisurely, move between the trees, like a tourist out for a walk.  
  
"Crap! They're making smoke." He rotated the drone's camera pod.  
"They're splitting up!" Through the billowing white cloud, he could  
just make out the tops of the Samsons heading into the trees a  
hundred yards ahead. "I've lost the Samsons in the trees. Looks like  
the Titans are splitting off and heading northwest."  
  
The feed from the spy drone ended abruptly.  
  
"Aw, hell!"  
  
"What's up Eye-Six?"  
  
"I'm not sure. Eye-Six-Niner just went to sleep."  
  
"Confirm."  
  
The pilot adjusted the control panel, punched a series of buttons.  
If the drone was still functioning its other sensors should've fed  
back telemetry, even if its camera couldn't.  
  
Nothing.  
  
"That's a Roger on sleep for Eye-Six-Niner. Must've been those  
trees." He'd made sure to stay away from the Samsons.  
  
"All right Eye-Six. Get a fix on those Titans."  
  
It took some maneuvering, but the OMAV finally moved to where the  
huge robots had last been seen. They were jogging steadily  
northwest, oblivious.  
  
"Close it up Eye-Six, time for the Calvary."  
  
The pilot relayed the last known heading and swung the OMAV pod  
around, heading for home. It'd been a bad day. After confirmation  
and contact, Robot Control was down a spy drone.  
  
As the OMAV's rocket engine faded a cloaked and masked figure   
popped into view, a few feet from the Naruni spy drone. The machine  
lay peacefully on its side, where it had suddenly collapsed during  
its mission.  
  
Tovarus turned towards the trees and spoke, "Come to me."  
  
Within minutes the two Samsons chugged through the trees, their  
thermographs revealing the position of the Line Walker and his  
still-warm trophy. There was no sign of the other six.  
  
Gindle and Leeds ejected, "What'd you do?" asked the NG merc.  
  
"A simple spell I learned in Tolkeen, it interferes with mechanics,"  
he placed a foot upon his trophy. "Your information was correct, a  
gunship and a spy drone."  
  
"Yeah, my inside man said they prepped two birds first thing this  
AM," Leeds was beaming.  
  
Gindle crouched and touched the drone, "It's fine, just powerless. I  
think we can put it to good use." He opened the engine cover and  
disconnected the power couplings. He nodded to Tovarus, "Ok, can you  
take us home? I'm going to need to spend some time with it."  
  
The Line Walker stepped off, turned to face the almost invisible  
river of magical energy flowing from the east and the three men, the  
two armored suits and the drone vanished suddenly without a trace.  
  
  
  
14:45 PM  
Freehold Enclave  
City of Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
"Magnificent!" Trader Joe's false, metamorphed mouth, twisted into a  
smile as he walked through Tolkeen's Dragon Arch. In his natural  
form, the Uteni hadn't much in the way of facial features, just a  
pair of large, dark orbs on a smooth, bald, blue-skinned face. His  
skin was still blue and his head remained hairless, but he had  
distinct human features. He wore this face to fit in with the  
citizenry, so he could communicate with the human leaders in their  
own way.  
  
Beyond the Arch was a huge courtyard assembled from cut stone, each  
laid carefully in place by the first dragon beings to come to the  
magic city years ago. The walls rose over sixty feet, topped by  
thick battlements and broken at symmetrical points by towers made of  
similar stones. Though the area was dwarfed by the rest of Tolkeen's  
titanic architechture, it was nevertheless an impressive enclave of  
a clan from neighboring Freehold, who were advisors to that town's  
rulers. From this close proximity, they could see firsthand what was  
happening in Creed's magical kingdom.  
  
"Huh?" said the mage walking with Joe. "Oh, yes, the masonry," the  
mage glanced about. Each of the flagstones at the base of the walls,  
imprinted with a huge claw, the signature marks of the dragons who'd  
performed the construction. He'd seen the area dozens of times, and  
forgotten the impact it had on newcomers. "It's quite nice."  
  
The Naruni salesrep hid his disappointment at being unable to obtain  
an audience with a member from the Circle of Twelve, instead having  
to meet with the Warlord's subordinate, and his lackey.  
  
Behind the pair marched a man in shiny battle armor, a thick, red  
cloak flowing almost to the ground behind him and a modern warhelm  
clutched near his chest. Sir Valoryn, a cyber-knight assigned as  
security, kept quiet, focusing his thoughts on the newcomer, as  
though he were employing some sort of sixth sense.  
  
"You have a gift for understatement, Prefect Lader," Joe said, "And  
Tolkeen has much to protect."  
  
"Yes, but I assure you our magical abilities are up to the task."  
  
"Oh, I've no doubt of your competence, it's just that, well," the  
Uteni glanced at Valoryn, "You've allies who aren't as versed in the  
Art as you. Surely the King can see the need to arm and supply them  
with first rate goods."  
  
Lader's face remained impassive, "Northern Gun tells us their  
equipment is more than sufficient -- not to mention cheaper," he  
clasped his hands together and paced away from the Naruni salesman.  
"Besides they're local, comrades in arms."  
  
"I'd expect to hear no less from them," Joe placed his hand inside  
one of the Dragon claws on the archway, it was dwarfed by the  
massive impression. The creature must have been over fifty-feet  
long. He smiled sheepishly, "I understand the kingdom summons D-Bees  
from other worlds and other dimensions to aid in battles. Am I  
correct?"  
  
Lader nodded.  
  
"So seeking outside help isn't foreign to you, at all," Joe  
shrugged, "Northern Gun is good at what they do, but I assure you  
our equipment is much, much more sophisticated, not unlike your own  
mastery of magic. We have more in common than you think," the Naruni  
salesrep's mouth was fashioned in such a way that it only held an  
inkling of a smile.  
  
"Well, we're certain that Northern Gun can deliver. To be honest,  
we've only heard scattered reports about Naruni, just scraps told to  
us from travelling mercenaries and a few of our subjects."  
  
"Ah," the smile on Joe's face blossomed, revealing a large set of  
white teeth. It was an expression he carefully practiced to aid in  
his salesmanship. "I wish to put the rumors and innuendo to rest,"  
he reached inside his robe.  
  
Sir Valoryn never batted an eye, and remained in place, standing  
almost at attention.  
  
The Naruni salesman brought out a small, square device, with several  
buttons on it. On the top face was a circular area, covered by an  
iris. He clicked one of the buttons and the iris opened, allowing  
light to issue forth. A hologram sprouted up.  
  
"I thought maybe if I were to run through some of our inventory, we  
might leave a few samples of what the King and his subjects would  
find useful." Naruni's information was that Northern Gun would only  
do this with small arms rarely with larger equipment. Trader Joe  
went right to the heavy artillery: hovertanks.  
  
"I'm sure his majesty would welcome these additions to his already  
magnificent military forces," a series of six, sleek looking  
warbirds hovered over the projector. "Think what your Techno-wizards  
could do to enhance such fine equipment." He forwarded the display  
ahead, recalling the Cyber-Knight lore he had speed-read over  
breakfast. "And for the individuals, our force fields can provide  
protection to the innocents who might be caught in battle, or those  
who do not wear armor; perfect for those who wield magic. Of course  
this is only a taste."  
  
Lader examined the scrolling summaries displayed next to the  
products.  
  
"Northern Gun has nothing like them," Joe handed the projector to  
the mage. "Please, take this. Take your time with it, analyze it,  
review it with your associates. I'll be happy to answer any  
questions you might have."  
  
Lader deactivated the device, "Very well, I'll discuss your proposal  
with my people." He nodded briefly to Valoryn who snapped his heels  
together and motioned the salesman away. The audience was over. The  
mage made a swift motion with his left hand and vanished.  
  
"The Prefect has instructed me to find quarters for you," explained  
the knight.  
  
The pair left the courtyard and waited on the other side of the  
thick arch. A hovercar arrived and picked them up.  
  
"I've arranged a suite at the Blue Unicorn, one of the best  
establishments in the Hotel District," continued the knight. "I've  
alerted the manager, the staff will extend you every courtesy."  
  
Joe hid his disappointment behind a practiced smile, "That's most  
gracious of you." He'd hoped for lodging in a private residence,  
maybe an invitation to dinner at the very least, instead of the  
brief meeting the short walk had afforded. "Ah, how may I contact  
the Prefect?"  
  
"Through me. I'll be quartered with you for the time being," Valoryn  
tapped the driver and the car flew off.  
  
Leaning against the battlements atop the archway was a red-haired,  
human female, dressed in civilian clothes. She reeled in a long,  
hair-thin wire that had been played out, over the side. Fastened to  
its end was a tiny microphone, no bigger than a match head.  
  
The figure touched her ear-piece, then spoke directly into the mic.   
  
"Did you hear that?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, Naruni's got their foot in the door," said a man's voice in  
her ear. "I guess we'll need to do something about it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"For the moment, nothing. In the meantime, find the Blue Unicorn."  
  
  
18:16 PM  
Ley Line Nexus  
Near Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
  
"What the..." the words issued quietly from Lucia Chen's mouth as  
the missile her gunner had launched, passed through the leading  
Titan, the one behind it, and impacted about eighty yards distant.  
The two robots that had been there a moment earlier disappeared. As  
the earth shook from the massive explosion, the leader of Robot  
Control gawked in surprise through her televiewers as the other four  
Titan robots kept formation and their pace, as though nothing had  
happened.  
  
Chen dropped her binoculars and locked eyes with the gunner in the  
exoskeleton, crouched next to her. Both were thoroughly confused.  
  
As the explosion faded, the area was overcome by another roar, the  
sound of jet engines igniting. Behind a nearby hill a windstorm of  
dust and debris rose as a mammoth, armored figure rocketed into the  
sky. It wore twin turbofans, stripped from a fighter jet and now  
employed as a jet-pack for the monstrosity. The engines cut out  
suddenly, and it fell to earth, looming above the remaining robots  
momentarily, before swooping in, legs drawn up in a protective  
crouch, and a giant battle axe, raised over its huge, helmeted head.  
The attack had been scripted to coincide with the detonation of the  
missle.  
  
Had the Titans been real, there would have been a collision, similar  
to a bowling ball striking pins. Instead, there was quiet "pop" as  
the monstrous figure passed through the illusory robots and they  
winked out of existence. The giant had angled himself so as to  
collide with the robot on the far left, to use the momentum of the  
collision to smother the two on its right. With a sickening thud,  
the armored figure smacked into the ground at nearly full speed,  
instead of rolling with the blow, utilizing the farther robots to  
cushion the impact. The huge armored figure rolled and skittered to  
a stop dozens of meters away, its limbs askew, like a massive,  
metallic rag-doll. The large battle-axe, it once wielded menacingly,  
stuck blade-first in the ground, vibrating uncontrollably.  
  
One of the illusory Titans remained, a reconnaissance model, much  
smaller than those that had accompanied it. Chen hopped over the  
edge of the embankment she and the rocket-gunner were crouched upon,  
and charged down.  
  
Despite being dwarfed by the size of the robot, she drew a  
vibro-knife and pricked its leg as it went past, oblivious to her  
presence or the fate of its fellows. It disappeared too.  
  
"MAGIC!" she yelled. Her scream echoed over the surrounding hills  
and up the embankment where she'd been. "DAMNED ILLUSIONS!" All  
around the top of the hill armed figures appeared as though they  
were observers at a funeral, staring into a grave. They would have  
been, had the Titans been real, instead, they stood watching the  
giant armored figure, stir slowly to life.  
  
By the time Lucia approached, it had risen, wobbly, on its feet,  
trying to wrest the battle-axe from the deep scar it had opened upon  
its impact with the earth.  
  
Chen impaled her vibro-knife in the ground and yelled up to the  
squad's radio operator.  
  
"QUICK! CHECK ON BETA-TEAM!"  
  
  
09:47 AM  
Robot Control Base  
300 miles Southwest of Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
Lucia Chen ripped the stripes off former sergeant Luigi Grimaldi's  
uniform and hurled them to the floor.  
  
"That's for your little pizza party the other day!" she barked.  
  
Grimaldi stood quietly. This wasn't the first time he'd been busted  
down in rank. It was one of the main reasons he was still an NCO in  
Robot Control. Besides, standing behind the lady leader was Arrak  
Chrome, the company's cyborg and Lucia's companion during all  
discipline sessions. His twelve-foot, armored frame ensured  
cooperation.  
  
"Do you want to know the price tag on this little fiasco?" Her nose  
was an inch from the enlisted man's face.  
  
Grimaldi shrugged slightly, opened his mouth as if to speak, then  
thought better of it after Chen's eyes bulged.  
  
B-Team hadn't done any better. In fact, A-Team had done a bang-up  
job comparitively. B-Team had simply vanished, well everthing except  
their personnel. When the signal corpsman hadn't been able to raise  
them, A-Team hustled over to the landing point, only to find their  
fellow troopers sound asleep, lashed to trees, clad only in their  
underwear.  
  
A quick recon of the area revealed nothing, no arms, armor, any sign  
of the ATVs that had been airlifted in by helicopters, nor any sign  
of the helicopters either. Radio failed to raise them, they'd simply  
all vanished. Ten million credits worth of equipment -- gone without  
a trace -- within an hour of arriving on scene.  
  
Grimaldi hadn't accompanied the mission, instead he'd remained at  
camp, wiring landmines and demo-charges for future ops. Late in the  
afternoon, after marching the teams a considerable distance from the  
site, Chen had radioed for pickup. Down several transport craft,  
base had been forced to scramble, including paying a couple of   
friendly rivals "cab-fare." Once back at base she went looking for  
scalps. During the infuriating wait for pickup, she'd singled out  
her over-zealous demolitions expert who'd attacked a local NG depot  
earlier.  
  
In addition, she placed the whole company on alert and was  
instructing the new Mystic Team to interview all company personnel.  
Grimaldi's incident had no-doubt been the motivation for NG's  
retribution but they had to have inside help in order to set this up  
so quickly and to deal with the two teams. Of course it was all   
theory. Yeah, right.  
  
While Arrak Chrome saw to her orders she placed a scrambled call to  
Trader Joe, the Naruni rep assigned to her team. The man was  
conducting negotiations in Tolkeen and she needed to meet with him  
personally, inform him of events and arrange replacement equipment  
immediately.  
  
A large flat-bed pulled up next to her tent and Chen motioned for  
the others to follow her outside. Sprawled on the truckbed was the  
giant Grunt, stripped to his shorts, bandages around his left knee  
and shoulder.  
  
"I'm heading out," she barked at Chrome, "He's restricted to base,"  
meaning Grimaldi. "I want him to nursemaid Grunt until he's healed  
or I say otherwise."  
  
The giant raised up, causing the truck-bed to heave. "I'm gettin' a  
little hungry, ow!" He massaged his dislocated shoulder.  
  
A small helicopter touched down and Chen and another Uteni boarded  
it and flew off.  
  
"Hey little man," grumbled Grunt, "I hear you make a killer pizza,"  
he reached out clumsily, since he'd been given a massive dose of  
painkiller.  
  
Grimaldi gulped and took an involuntary step back, since he'd left  
his grenades in his bunk locker.  
  
  
10:06 AM  
Northern Quadrant  
City of Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
The Northern Gun aerodyne descended swiftly from the sky, until it  
circled the massive, magical city.  
  
Gindle had never been to Tolkeen, but his Mentor, Novar, had  
describing it's majesty and splendor at length on several  
occaisions. He hid his excitement as he recognized some the sights  
he'd been told. Next to him sat Leeds, the man from Northern Gun  
who'd helped orchestrate Operation Pickpocket, the interception of  
the Naruni gear. Things had gone so well that the NG rep had asked  
the Techno-wizard to remain behind and help in another matter. It  
meant finding his own way home, but Tolkeen offered dimensional  
travel -- funded by NG of course.  
  
The pilot reduced speed as a pair of winged, serpents intercepted  
the craft, then followed them down to a large, open landing area. On  
their backs rode beasthandlers, each grasping an ornate, magical  
spear. The VTOL craft touched down and its occupants were surrounded  
by a small army of security men and curious onlookers.  
  
Being a practicioner of magic, Gindle was granted admission to the  
city. Even though Northern Gun had already contacted the city's  
hierarchy, Gindle was forced to vouch for Leeds, which he did,  
including the cargo they'd brought along.  
  
A few hours later they were taking in the sights to the east near  
the Tolkeen Center, where the local Techno-wizards plied their  
wares. Leeds had opened his expense account allowing Gindle to make  
several purchases of items he found intriguing and worthy of further  
study.  
  
As they exited the Tech Center, they were met by a groundcar, driven  
by an attractive red-haired female, Leeds knew.  
  
"Gindle, this is Medera, NG's contact here. She's going to fill us  
in on what's ahead."  
  
  
15:48 PM  
Blue Unicorn  
Eastern Quadrant  
City of Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
"The equipment isn't a problem," Trader Joe explained to Lucia Chen.  
"I'm worried that word of the operation will leak to the leaders here,  
those I'm cultivating." Joe, Chen and the Uteni she'd brought with  
her were talking quietly in the merchant's suite at the Blue  
Unicorn. A small electronic device sat on the table between them,  
flashing periodically, indicating the field it was emitting, to  
counter electronic eavesdropping, was functioning.  
  
"I've arranged to have a sample of our inventory brought to the town  
leaders tomorrow," Joe retained his human metamorph. The other  
Uteni, who'd come with Lucia Chen was in natural form. "Local  
leaders have agreed to inspect our goods and the shipment will be  
sent to a location specified by the Prefect I met with yesterday,"  
he said, meaning Lader. "I'm concerned about further trouble. Assign  
your best people to the security detail and your best techs. I want  
it all triple-checked, I DON'T want any problems at this stage of  
the negotiations."  
  
Chen agreed, and relayed the orders using the powerful, portable,  
scrambled transceiver Joe carried in his briefcase. After making the  
arrangements the Trader requested, she spoke at length to Arrak  
Chrome, regarding the progress of her investigation. As she ended  
the transmission, her face revealed concern.  
  
"What's the matter?" asked the merchant.  
  
"Well, some good news," she began, "Interviews were completed and  
all were negative, except six members who are on travel leave."  
  
It meant the regulars could be trusted, but there were still gaps.  
  
There was a knock at the door and the room went silent. Lucia  
retrieved her laser pistol. She waved to the other Uteni, who   
opened the door.   
  
"It's okay," Joe called.  
  
In stepped a bald, blue-skinned human, Joe's travelling assistant,  
also a Uteni, in human form. He hadn't been present when the  
mercenary leader had arrived.  
  
"Captain Chen, how are you?" was the Uteni's greeting as he took his  
bag of goods into the suite's kitchen. The face was different but  
the voice was familiar. Lucia lowered her weapon. "I thought I might  
be seeing you," he said.  
  
Lucia frowned, "Why?"  
  
"While I was out shopping I saw that girl from your Communications  
Section," explained the man while he emptied his bag on the counter.  
  
The room was dead silent. Lucia had only brought the Uteni with her,  
the one who'd opened the door.  
  
"Which girl?" she asked.  
  
"You know, the one with the fiery red hair. Sergeant Malley."  
  
Chen's mouth dropped open. In the conversation with HQ they'd given  
her the names and destinations of each of those travelling. The  
red-haired woman, Malley, was on the travel list but her destination  
had been far to the west, out of state and was still being verified.  
  
Chen raced over and grabbed Trader Joe's seneschal. "Where did you  
see her?"  
  
The man was caught off guard by her frantic action, "Uh, why over at  
the Tech Center Tower, just down the street."  
  
"Did she see you?"  
  
"I doubt it would matter if she did. I'm experimenting with this new  
human form."  
  
  
02:05 AM  
Residential District  
Eastern Quadrant  
City of Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
The hooded figure halted his horse-drawn wagon and took a quick look  
around. Despite the late hour, there were still people walking about  
the streets of the magic city. Here, along the avenues of the  
residential district it was quiet, only a few citizens lingered on a  
nearby cross-street, which connected it to the Hotel District.  
  
Gindle climbed down from the driver's bench and checked his horse.  
  
"There, there, Buttercup," he soothed the creature with several  
smooth strokes.  
  
Retrieving his hand from his pocket, he held it oddly, the way a  
magician might when performing sleight-of-hand. Sitting in his palm  
was an red apple. Strangely, the horse took no interest in it. The  
form of the apple wavered and it morphed into a metallic orb, with a  
single camera lens protruding from it. With a thought, the  
Techno-wizard activated the strange device and it levitated upwards,  
causing the horse to whinnie slightly. It flew off into the night.  
  
"Yes, I know. When this is all over, I'll see you get a real one,"  
he responded, as if the beast had been teased. The Techno-wizard  
remained in place, eyes closed, gently stroking the horse's head.  
  
In his mind's eye, the mage could see through his electronic  
familiar, its IR camera lens bathing the city in shades of grey. For  
clarity he switched the display into the ultraviolet range and the  
detail improved radically, giving him an almost day-like view. It flew  
until he recognized the shape of the Blue Unicorn, several blocks  
away from his wagon.  
  
The flying eye hovered outside the window to Trader Joe's  
third-story suite. The Techno-wizard shifted the sensory display and  
its thermal sensors revealed no one was present in the main room. He then  
accessed its controls and a beam of IR light lanced from the lens  
and touched the wall. He backed it off a safe distance. As his familiar   
hovered noiselessly, Gindle moved to the back of the wagon and removed   
the thick blanket hiding the Naruni spy drone. He touched the drone and  
it activated its systems, warming up by engaging its startup diagnostics.  
A minute later it rose from the wagon-bed slowly, its lower hover jets  
purring softly. Using his powers, he instructed the drone as to its  
course and it zipped off, gaining more and more momentum with each  
second of flight.  
  
As the onboard navigation computer analyzed its position from the  
map its databanks carried, the drone's sensor array picked up the  
reflected light from the IR beam.  
  
Following its programming, it opened its jets to full throttle and  
homed in on the painted target.  
  
  
02:14 AM  
Blue Unicorn  
Hotel District  
Eastern Quadrant  
City of Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
Sir Valoryn was up and out of bed moments after the Blue Unicorn was  
rocked by an unexpected crash.  
  
Stripped to the waist, the Cyber-knight grabbed the NG-11S he kept  
next to his bed and raced out into his suite's living room.  
  
"What the blazes happened?" he bellowed to the other mercenaries on  
duty. An elf, Holar, had come on at one o'clock. As shocked as his  
boss, he had raced to window to see if their was anything he could  
see.  
  
"Upstairs!" he shouted. The Naruni party held the suite on the top  
floor, above them.  
  
The pair were up in a flash, met by the sentry Valoryn had posted at  
the staircase.  
  
"Look out!" Sir Valoryn pushed the man aside, put his shoulder to  
the door and bulled his way inside the suite.  
  
The portion of the room facing the street was in ruins, a huge,  
gaping hole had been smashed through the wall. Laying amongst the  
rubble, broken glass and smashed furniture was a dented, fractured,  
metallic missile, its engines coughing twice before dying.  
  
The three Uteni and an armed Lucia Chen appeared in the bedroom  
doorway, looks of surprise etched on their faces.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Gindle turned his palm downward, then held it back upright. The  
small, metallic orb had reappeared where he'd conjured it minutes  
before. He closed his other hand over it and it vanished, as if it  
never existed.  
  
Reaching into his other pocket, he retrieved a real apple and fed it  
to Buttercup, listening to the distant shouts and cries in response  
to the accident.  
  
As the horse nibbled, he activated the small computer attached to  
his belt and keyed in the text for a Calling spell to Noel Leeds.  
  
  
THE TOWN WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE   
ACCIDENT AT THE BLUE UNICORN FOR  
DAYS, NO DOUBT. I SUGGEST RUMORS  
ABOUT "ROBOT OUT-OF-CONTROL".  
  
MY JOB IS DONE. I'M HEADING HOME.  
  
GINDLE  
  
  
The Techno-wizard retook his seat, spurred Buttercup on, and  
disappeared quietly down a dark side street of the magic city.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Trader Joe was shaking with anger. Lucia Chen and the two Uteni were  
speechless. As the town's security forces arrived, so did other  
citizens and neighbors, curious about the crash that had fractured  
an otherwise peaceful night.  
  
Being a demolition expert, Lucia Chen carefully inspected what was  
left of the drone. The serial number confirmed it was the same one  
that had gone missing the day B-Team had lost its equipment.  
Strangely, it held no explosives. Had it been a bomb they would have  
all been killed, along with everyone else at the Blue Unicorn.  
Instead, it had simply crashed into the building, ruining a good  
portion of its front wall, facade and roof.  
  
Sir Valoryn's team dispersed the crowd and they quickly transferred  
the Naruni group to alternate quarters.  
  
As they drove off Joe's mind raced.  
  
He realized by tomorrow morning Prefect Lader would receive a  
complete briefing on the incident: that a piece of Naruni tech had  
gone out of control and smashed into the Blue Unicorn. It'd no doubt  
weigh heavily on Lader's recommendation to his superiors.  
  
When they arrived at their new quarters, the merchant called a brief  
meeting. Tomorrow their inventory and personnel would arrive. He had  
Lucia Chen place an emergency call. He wanted a small lineup change.  
  
Naruni was going to get its pound of flesh.  
  
  
08:38 AM  
Tolkeen Airport  
Northern Quadrant  
City of Tolkeen  
Rifts:Earth  
  
The Northern Gun VTOL raised up from its landing spot, spraying a  
swirling windstorm of dirt and dust on the Tolkeen airstrip.  
Accompanied by a pair of flying serpents, the craft eased west, then  
banked and rocketed off north, leaving its escort far behind.  
  
Standing next to Lucia Chen atop a hundred foot wall near the  
airport, was Luigi Grimaldi, chewing madly on two sticks of gum. The  
Northern Gun VTOL shrunk into a distant speck.  
  
As he'd done with the pizza job, he produced a small electronic   
box, with a single red button. He extended the antenna, then   
flicked the switch.  
  
The speck on the horizon suddenly mushroomed into a thick cloud of  
black and orange.  
  
END PART ONE 


End file.
